201 S. Livingston Ave., Suite 2E

Livingston, NJ

Conditions

As you probably already know, back pain is a very common complaint. Low back pain (pain in your lumbar spine) is the most common. Most back pain comes from sprains and strains caused by stressful movements: lifting something without using proper techniques or a sudden twisting motion are just two examples of how you can hurt your back.

Sometimes, though, back pain is caused by a more severe spinal condition, such as a herniated disc or spondylosis. Depending on the severity of your pain and its cause, you may require more involved medical help, such as physical therapy or even surgery.

Failed Back Surgery Syndome

Failed back syndrome (FBS), also called "failed back surgery syndrome" (FBSS), refers to chronic back and/or leg pain that occurs after back (spinal) surgery, usually after laminectomy. It is characterized as a chronic pain syndrome.

Due to systemic disorders such as diabetes, autoimmune disease and peripheral blood vessels (vascular) disease. Some individual may be predisposed to the development of FBS.
Causes

Herniated disc

Post-operative pressure on the spinal nerve

Joint stiffness

Scar tissue

Vascular disease

Symptoms

Pain isolated to one side of the body

Dull, aching pain in the back or legs

Sharp pricks of pain in the extremities

Constant or persistent pain

Treatment

Physical therapy

Minor nerve blocks

Electrical nerve stimulation

Anti-inflammatory medications

Pain Diabetic

Diabetic neuropathy, a common complication of diabetes, is damage to the nerves that allow you to feel sensations such as pain. The areas of the body most commonly affected by diabetic peripheral neuropathy are the feet and legs. Rarely, other areas of the body such as the arms, abdomen, and back may be affected.

As you probably already know, back pain is a very common complaint. Low back pain (pain in your lumbar spine) is the most common. Most back pain comes from sprains and strains caused by stressful movements: lifting something without using proper techniques or a sudden twisting motion are just two examples of how you can hurt your back.

Sometimes, though, back pain is caused by a more severe spinal condition, such as a herniated disc or spondylosis. Depending on the severity of your pain and its cause, you may require more involved medical help, such as physical therapy or even surgery.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS), also known as chronic Myofascial pain is a chronic condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles). Myofascial pain syndrome may involve either a single muscle or a muscle group. In some cases, the area where a person experiences the pain may not be where the myofascial pain generator is located hardening of the muscle upon trigger point palpation, pseudo-weakness of the involved muscle, referred pain, and limited range of motion following approximately 5 seconds of sustained trigger point pressure.

Experts believe that the actual site of the injury or the strain prompts the development of a trigger point that, in turn, causes pain in other areas. This situation is known as referred pain.

Sciatica

Sciatica refers to pain, weakness, numbness, or tingling in the leg. It is caused by injury to or pressure on the sciatic nerve. Sciatica is a symptom of another medical problem, not a medical condition on its own.

Sciatica occurs when there is pressure or damage to the sciatic nerve. This nerve starts in the lower spine and runs down the back of each leg. This nerve controls the muscles of the back of the knee and lower leg and provides sensation to the back of the thigh, part of the lower leg, and the sole of the foot.

Sciatica pain can vary widely. It may feel like a mild tingling, dull ache, or a burning sensation. In some cases, the pain is severe enough to make a person unable to move.

The pain most often occurs on one side. Some people have sharp pain in one part of the leg or hip and numbness in other parts. The pain or numbness may also be felt on the back of the calf or on the sole of the foot. The affected leg may feel weak.

The pain often starts slowly. Sciatica pain may get worse:

After standing or sitting

At Night

When sneezing, coughing, or laughing

When bending backwards or walking more than a few yards, especially if caused by spinal stenosis

A herniated or "slipped" disc is a common spine injury that occurs when the jelly-like substance inside the intravertebral discs is forced outward either creating a bulge in the disc's membrane or leaking out through a tear in the membrane. The movement of the jelly-like substance places pressure on nearby nerves, which can cause pain and discomfort. There are two areas of the spine that can experience a herniated disc, the lumbar spine (lower back) and cervical spine (neck).

Normally, soft, jelly-like discs that rest between the vertebrae (bony segments that make up the spine) are compressible, which allows the spine to react to motion and pressure without damage. When these discs become damaged, pain and difficulty moving can occur. A bulging disc is when the interior of the disc pushes up against the disc's membrane creating an outward push of the interior substance. These bulges can put pressure on the spinal nerves.

A torn disc is more severe than a bulge because the membrane that encloses the jelly-like interior of the disc becomes ripped open, allowing the gel to leak out. This creates pressure on the spinal nerves, which generates pain and numbness.

Cervical Radiculopathy occurs due to sustained damage by the root of the spinal nerves in the neck. These nerve root injuries are commonly referred to as "pinched nerves" and cause pain and numbness in the neck that radiates down the shoulder and into the arm.

Lumbar Radiculopathy, commonly known as sciatica, is pain in the lower extremities that radiates from the lumbar spine (lower back). Pain is caused by compression at the roots of the spinal nerves, and generally causes discomfort in the lower back, hips, thighs, and travels down the legs. Compression most often occurs when the jelly-like substance in the intravertebral discs puts pressure on the nerves either by bulging out or by leaking out through a tear in the disc membrane.

Degeneration of the soft, jelly-like intravertebral discs is a natural process that occurs over time, however in some cases this degeneration causes pain when the disc begins to exert pressure on the spinal nerves. Inflammation and instability that generate muscle spasms are the most common cause of pressure on the nerves. This condition can occur in the cervical spine (neck) or the lumbar spine (back).

Once a shingles infection has healed, residual pain can occur for several months or even years due to the virus' presence in, and damage to, the nervous system. The spine pain associated with postherpetic neuralgia would be similar to that felt during the actual shingles outbreak.

Ischemia is a condition that occurs when blood flow to a part of the body is disrupted. This results is extreme pain because the nervous system is not getting the oxygen-rich blood it needs to survive. This type of pain can affect any part of the body.